Social Engineering
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-28
CORE DEFINITION
Social engineering refers to the manipulation of people's psychology in the context of information security, causing them to take actions or divulge confidential information. Distinct from social engineering in the social sciences, it is a trust-based deception aimed at gathering information, fraud, or system intrusion, and has developed various techniques and may be used for criminal purposes.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
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Social engineering refers to the manipulation of people's psychology in the context of information security, causing them to take actions or divulge confidential information. Distinct from social engineering in the social sciences, it is a trust-based deception aimed at gathering information, fraud, or system intrusion, and has developed various techniques and may be used for criminal purposes.
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Attackers bypass technical defenses and directly exploit human psychological weaknesses (greed, fear, curiosity, helpfulness, obedience to authority) to deceive and obtain information or access. Humans are the most easily manipulated link in the system.
MINIMUM ACTION
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A4%BE%E4%BC%9A%E5%B7%A5%E7%A8%8B%E5%AD%A6verified
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